Dubai should see a cheaper Uber soon

An illustration picture shows the logo of car-sharing service app Uber on a smartphone next to the picture of an official German taxi sign September 15, 2014. REUTERS/Kai Pfaffenbach/Illustration/File Photo

We might finally get to see a cheaper Uber service in Dubai. It should be rolling out in the following months under the moniker UberX. Earlier this year, the ride-sharing giant reached an agreement with the RTA in Dubai to be able to offer new products and services in the country. This was done to support UAE Vision 2021, where the nation wants to be among the best countries in the world.

Travis Kalanick, CEO of Uber

The new services would be very welcome, since currently passengers are expected to pay almost 30 per cent more than local taxis. This is in addition to extra fees to be paid to the RTA as well. The main aim, says Uber CEO Travis Kalanick, is to get affordable transport to tourists and residents as soon as possible.

In conversation with Arabian Business, Kalanick said Uber is about serving “the many and not just a few”. “When you serve the many as a ride-sharing service it actually gets better. The lower cost of service actually becomes more luxurious because when you have more people who can afford it, more people use it, and [when] more people use it, you have more cars on the system. You have more cars on the system, [then] you have better pick up time, more reliability and accessibility across the larger part of the city.”

Currently Uber offers three tiers of service in the UAE: UberSelect, UberXL and UberBlack. There’s also Uber Chopper and Uber VIP, but these are more promotional than standard options. As of now, UberX is scheduled to launch next month, but pricing is yet to be determined for the service.